Google unveils 5 new Android features

Google has recently announced five new Android features that aim to improve user experience across a variety of platforms, from accessibility tools to enhanced navigation. According to a blog post by Angana Ghosh, Director of Product Management for Android, the updates leverage artificial intelligence, expand earthquake alerts, and enhance integration with wearable devices.

Enhanced audio descriptions by Gemini

Google is introducing a new update to its TalkBack screen reader for Android, which assists users who are blind or have low vision. TalkBack will now offer more detailed audio descriptions of images, using Google's Gemini AI models on supported devices. Whether it's product photos online, images in text messages, or posts on social media, TalkBack will provide audio descriptions, allowing users to better understand visual content.

Image: Google.

Search music with 'Circle to Search'

Android users can now identify music with the new 'Circle to Search' feature. Instead of switching apps to discover what song is playing in the background, users can simply long-press the Home button or navigation bar, then tap the music button to identify the track. Whether it's music from a nearby speaker or a song playing on social media, 'Circle to Search' will reveal the song title, artist, and even provide a link to the YouTube video.

Image: Google.

Listen to web pages online

For those who prefer audio over text, Android has introduced the ability to listen to web pages in Google Chrome. Whether browsing blog posts, recipes, or news articles, users can now have content read aloud, with options to customise the voice type, speed, and language.

Image: Google.

Navigate cities with Wear OS and Google Maps

As per the company, Google is also improving navigation on its Wear OS smartwatches by adding new features to Google Maps. Users can now access offline maps directly from their smartwatch, even when their phone is out of reach or without mobile service. By downloading maps to their phone, users can view locations and orient themselves on their smartwatch. Two new shortcuts also make it easier to search for destinations using voice commands or to locate yourself with a tap on the watch face.

Image: Google.

Earthquake alerts across the US

In a move to enhance public safety, Google is expanding the Android Earthquake Alerts System to all US states and six territories. Using crowd-sourced detection technology, Android devices in the US can now alert users to imminent earthquakes seconds before the shaking begins. Google is yet to announce when the earthquake alerts will roll out in other regions.